U.S. patent number 5,348,167 [Application Number 08/076,241] was granted by the patent office on 1994-09-20 for merchandising hook.
Invention is credited to Palle L. Jensen.
United States Patent |
5,348,167 |
Jensen |
September 20, 1994 |
Merchandising hook
Abstract
A hook member for a pegboard is disclosed. A U-shaped hook
member is rotatably positioned in a channel in a base member, the
base member having one or more pin members for attachment to the
pegboard. The channels in the base member allow the base member to
rotate relative to the pegboard when the U-shaped member is pulled
outwardly from the pegboard. After sufficient rotation, the pins
are released from the holes in the pegboard.
Inventors: |
Jensen; Palle L. (DK-2300
Copenhagen S., DK) |
Family
ID: |
22130788 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/076,241 |
Filed: |
June 11, 1993 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/57.1;
211/59.1; 248/220.41; 248/222.51 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F
5/0823 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47F
5/08 (20060101); A47F 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;211/59.1,57.1,106
;248/222.2,220.3,220.4 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
P/O/P Times, vol. 6, No. 1, dated Jan./Feb. 1993, pp. 1, 62, and
77..
|
Primary Examiner: Gibson, Jr.; Robert W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brooks & Kushman
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A merchandising device for mounting on a display panel, said
device comprising:
a continuous wire-like member shaped into a generally U-shaped
configuration, said member having a first leg portion, a second leg
portion and a third connecting leg portion, said third leg portion
having two ends and connecting together said first and second leg
portions forming said U-shaped configuration,
a base member for supporting said wire-like member on said display
panel, said base member comprising at least one pin member for
attachment to said display panel, a stop member for holding said
wire-like member in its display position on said display panel, and
a recess means for allowing rotation of said wire-like member
relative to said base member,
said stop member having a first surface for supporting said first
leg portion and a second surface for supporting said third
connecting leg portion,
said recess means positioned adjacent said stop member and allowing
entry of the end of said third leg portion connected to said second
leg portion when said wire-like member is displaced vertically
upwards relative to said base member and said base member is then
rotated relative to said wire-like member,
whereby said wire-like member is held securely in said base member
without any components or members affixed thereto.
2. A merchandising hook or the like of the type having a base
member and a U-shaped hook member, said hook comprising:
(a) said base member having one or more lug means for releasable
connection to a display panel, and
(b) said hook member being formed of a wire-like material and
having an outwardly extending merchandise support section, a
vertically extending back section, and an upper, outwardly
projecting display tag section,
(c) said back section having two ends, a first end connected to
said merchandise support section and a second end connected to said
display tag section,
(d) said base member having a stop member for supporting a portion
of said merchandise support section and said back section without a
cross-arm or other member being attached to said hook member,
and
(e) said base member having a recess means adjacent said stop
member in order to allow passage of at least said first end of said
back section when said hook member is rotated relative to said base
member.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an improved hook device for holding and
displaying merchandise and other items.
BACKGROUND ART
Businesses today use a wide variety of devices and mechanisms to
display their products to consumers and the passing public. For
example, products are displayed with hangers, hooks, clips, clamps
and the like or presented in bins, pockets, baskets or racks. For
versatility and ease of presentation, adjustable hanging, hooking
and clipping items are often utilized.
One of the known ways to display and retain products in this manner
involves the use of hook members with pegboards. Pegboards comprise
planar sheets of material with a plurality of holes or openings
spaced uniformly in a grid pattern. The hook members have one, two
or more pins or fingers which fit within the holes in order to hold
the hook members in place. The merchandise or products are then
positioned on the hook member, typically by use of an opening in
the product packaging.
The hooks, hangers, clips and the like are made from a wide variety
of materials, preferably a hard plastic or metal. For example,
metal rods are often used for making the hangers or hook members
for pegboards, the member having one or two fingers or pins that
are bent at right angles for insertion in holes in the pegboard.
The pins are typically welded to the wire rod. The hook members
also have one or more elongated members used for mounting the
products for presentation.
One of the difficulties with hooks and hangers on pegboards, is
that it is difficult to move the hooks or hangers without
disrupting or interfering with adjacent products and hangers. The
hooks or hangers need to be rotated up to 90.degree. in many
instances in order to remove them from the pegboard and this often
interferes with products suspended or hanging from adjacent
hooks.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved
merchandise hanger or hook mechanism for use in holding and
displaying products. It is another object of the present invention
to provide a hook or hanger mechanism for pegboards which overcomes
the problems with existing hooks and hangers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an
improved hanger mechanism for a pegboard in which the hanger
mechanism can be removed without interfering with adjacent hangers
and products suspended therefrom. It is a still further object of
the present invention to provide a hanger for merchandising racks
in which the products are not disturbed significantly when the
hanger or hook on which they are positioned is removed or moved to
a different location.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following description,
drawings and claims.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention comprises a U-shaped hook attached to a base
member. The base member has one or more channels in which the
U-shaped hook is positioned. The base member also has one or more
protruding bent fingers or pins which are used to anchor the hook
mechanism to a pegboard or the like.
The U-shaped member is movable in the channels in the base member
for removal and repositioning. When it is necessary to remove or
reposition the device, the U-shaped member is moved longitudinally
relative to the base member unlocking the U-shaped member from its
horizontally disposed position. The channels in the base member
then allow the base member to rotate relative to the pegboard when
the U-shaped member is pulled in a direction directly outwardly
from the pegboard. When the base member is rotated sufficiently,
the bent fingers or pins are released from the holes in the
pegboard.
One part of the U-shaped member is used to display a price or
product information to consumers. A second part of the U-shaped
member is used to hold and display the products.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a merchandising hook made in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the merchandising hook as shown in FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the merchandising hook as shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, showing the base member in cross section;
FIG. 4 is a view of the merchandising hook shown in FIG. 3 taken
and viewed in the direction of the arrows 4--4 in FIG. 3; and
FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the removal and repositioning of the present
invention on a pegboard.
BEST MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present
invention. FIGS. 5-7 depict the manner in which the present
invention is positioned and removed from a pegboard and illustrate
the benefits and advantages of the present invention.
The present invention relates to a merchandising hook which is
referred to generally by the reference numeral 10 in the drawings.
The merchandising hook 10 consists of a U-shaped hook member 12 and
a base member 14.
The merchandising hooks 10 are adapted to be positioned on a wall
or other surface such as pegboard 16 by means of a pair of fingers
or pins 18. As shown in the drawings, the pins 18 are bent at
approximately 90.degree. angles to fit within holes 20 in pegboard
16.
The U-shaped hook member 12 has an upper leg portion 30 and a lower
leg portion 32 connected by a shorter connecting portion 34. The
U-shaped hook 12 can be made from a sufficiently sturdy plastic
material, but preferably is a piece of bent steel rod formed into
the shape shown in the drawings.
The upper leg portion 30 of the hook 12 is used to display
information concerning the product, such as the price, name, model
number, etc. The leg portion 30 extends outwardly perpendicular to
the base member and pegboard. The end 36 of the leg portion 30 is
flattened as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in order to receive a sign
member 40. The sign member 40 can be of any conventional type or
design, but preferably is of the type shown in the drawings. The
sign member 40 has a receptacle or socket 43 in which the flattened
end 36 of the leg 30 is securely positioned. The front portion 42
of the sign is pivotally connected to the socket 43 by pivot member
44. The front member 42 of the sign 40 comprises a bent piece of
plastic material in which information indicia can be positioned in
order to be viewed by consumers. The front portion 42 of the
display member 40 also can be moved through means of the pivot 44
in the direction as shown by arrow 46 (FIG. 3) in order to allow
merchandise placed on the lower leg portion 32 to be removed or
positioned on the leg portion.
Lower leg 32 of the hook 12 extends outwardly parallel to the upper
leg 30 and also contains an upwardly curved end 48. Products such
as those schematically depicted by the reference numeral 50 in the
drawings are hung on the lower leg 32. The products 50 can be
mounted on the leg 32 in any conventional manner, such as with the
leg portion 32 being positioned through an opening 52 in the
packaging of the product 50, or by the use of hangers or clips on
the products or packaging.
The base member 14 has a channel 60 in which the hook member 12 is
positioned. The channel 60 has an upper channel portion 62 and a
lower channel portion 64 which hold the two leg portions 30 and 32,
respectively, of the hook member 12. The connecting portion 34 of
the hook member 12 is positioned in the channel 60. The channel 60
also has an opening or recess 66 that protrudes or opens through
the rear surface 68 of the base member 14.
The base member 14 is preferably made from any sufficiently rigid
material, such as polycarbonate or fiber-reinforced nylon. It also
could be die cast from a metal material.
When the merchandising hook 10 is installed on the pegboard 16 or
other surface, the U-shaped hook member 12 is "locked" in place in
the base member 14. This is shown in FIGS. 1-4. In this manner, the
upper leg portion 30 is positioned tightly in the bottom of channel
portion 62 (FIG. 4) and the lower leg portion 32 is positioned
toward the open end of channel portion 64. In this position, the
connecting portion 34 is also set or wedged in place between
portions 70 and 72 of the base member 14 (see FIG. 3).
When the hook 10 is in the position shown in FIGS. 1-4, the
U-shaped hook 12 is held at a position perpendicular to the face of
the pegboard 16 and products 50 can be positioned on and removed
from the lower leg portion 32.
When it is necessary to remove the merchandising hook 10 from the
pegboard 16, whether for repositioning or reuse at a later date,
the procedure for accomplishing this is shown in FIGS. 5-7. First,
the U-shaped hook member 12 is moved upwardly relative to the base
member 14. This is shown by the arrow 80 in FIG. 5. As shown in
FIG. 5, this step moves the upper leg portion 30 from the bottom of
the channel portion 62 and also moves the lower leg portion 32 into
the closed end of channel portion 64.
Secondly, the U-shaped member 12 is pulled out directly away from
pegboard 16 in the direction of the arrow 82 in FIGS. 6 and 7.
Movement of the U-shaped member 12 in the direction of arrow 82
causes the base member 14 to rotate outwardly away from the
pegboard (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). The connecting portion 34 of
the U-shaped member 12 fits within the open or recessed portion 66
of channel 60 and allows such rotation to take place. Further
outward movement of the U-shaped member 12 causes the base member
14 to rotate approximately 90.degree. away from the pegboard 16 and
thus allows the pins or finger members 18 to be withdrawn from the
openings 20 in the pegboard 16. This movement is shown by the arrow
84 in FIG. 7.
As is evident from the above description of the invention and the
drawings, the present invention allows the merchandising hook 10 to
be removed and repositioned on a pegboard in a manner which does
not disturb or interfere with adjacent hooks and products suspended
from adjacent hooks. It is not necessary to rotate the outwardly
extending hook member relative to the pegboard. Thus it is possible
to easily remove a single hook member 10 from a pegboard 16 without
having to remove other adjacent hook member or products from
them.
The repositioning or installation of hook 10 on a pegboard can be
accomplished in the reverse manner of the removal procedure
described above. That is, first the pins 18 are positioned in
openings 20 with the base member 14 and U-shaped member 12 oriented
in the positions shown in FIG. 7. Then the hook member 12 is pushed
in a direction against the pegboard rotating the base member flat
against the pegboard. Downward movement of the U-shaped member 12
then locks it in place in the base member (as shown in FIGS. 1-4).
Alternatively, if interference with adjacent hooks and products is
not a concern, then the hook member 12 can be inserted in a
pegboard in a conventional manner (by rotation of the U-shaped
member with the base member already locked in place).
Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the
foregoing detailed description, it is to be understood that the
present invention is not to be limited to just the embodiments
disclosed, but that they are capable of numerous rearrangements,
modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of
the claims hereafter.
* * * * *